Suction box vacuum connection



Sept. 7, 1965 F. R. ERBACH 3,205,127

sucTIoN BOX VACUUM coNNEcTIoN Filed May a, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1INVENTOR.

I ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,205,127 SUCTION BOX VACUUM CONNECTIONFrederick R. Erbach, Beloit, Wis., assignor to Beloit Corporation,Beloit, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed May 8, 1963, Ser. No.278,890 3 Claims. (Cl. 162363) This invention relates to improvements inpaper making machines and is more particularly concerned with thesuction box of a paper making machine, dewatering the paper stock as itis flowed along the forming wire of a Fourdrinier machine.

A principal object of the present invention is to improve upon thesuction boxes heretofore used in Fourdrinier types of paper machines bysimplifying the connection of the suction box to its suction and drainconnection and by so arranging the connection as to be readilydetachable.

Another object of the invention is to provide a suction box for a papermaking machine having a simple and improved form of positive quickdetachable connection between the suction box and its vacuum and drainconnection, enabling the box to be readily removed for cleaning orreworking.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved form ofpaper making machine including a suction box and an air tight quickdetachable connection between the suction box and its suction and drainconnection, operating on the clamping principle and hanging a connectorconnected with the suction and drain connection to the suction fittingleading from the suction box.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from time to timeas the following specification proceeds and with reference to theaccompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of a paper makingmachine embodying a suction box constructed in accordance with theprinciples of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view of a part of a papermachine with parts removed, and showing the connection from the suctionbox to the vacuum and drain connection of the machine;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged detail view of the suction box illustrating thedetails of the quick detachable connection for connecting the suctionbox to its vacuum and drain connection;

FIGURE 4 is an end view of the fitting leading from the suction box; and

FIGURE 5 is an end view of the connector connecting the fitting to thevacuum and drain connector, drawn to a reduced scale and looking at theend of the connector adapted to abut the fitting.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, I havediagrammatically shown in FIGURE 1 a paper machine of the Fourdriniertype and indicated generally by a reference character 10. The papermachine generally comprises a looped forming Wire 11 trained about andover a breast roll 12, along and over table rolls 13, a suction box 15,a couch roll 16, a direction changing roll 17 and return rolls 18, 18.Stock is deposited on the upper run of the wire 11 from a head box 19onto a forming board 20 to form a web which is removed from the wire 11by a pick up felt 22 urged against the web by a suction pick up roll 21.

The suction box 15, as shown in FIGURE 2 comprises a generallyrectangular trough-like body 23 opening along its top and having aperforate top or cover member 24 extending therealong and accommodatingthe removal of water from the web through the perforations of said32%,127 Patented Sept. 7, 1965 ice cover (not shown) in a conventionalmanner. The perforate cover 24 may be made from wood (maple ormahogany), metal, rubber, or a phenolic resin and the cover isperforated with suflicient openings to allow suction to be applied tothe underside of the web.

The back side of the suction box is piped to a vacuum pump (not shown)connected with Vacuum lines 26 and 27 under the control of conventionalregulator valves 29 and 30. Water removed from the web may drain througha drain pipe 31 having the vacuum line 27 extending from the upper endthereof and having a fitting 32 supported thereon and extending at rightangles with respect thereto. A level of water is established in the pipe31 to allow water to drain downwardly along said drain pipe and toprevent the short circuiting of vacuum, from the suction box, in amanner well known to those skilled in the art and no part of the presentinvention, so not herein shown or described.

The fitting 32 has a hose 33 extending along and clamped to its inletend by a hose clamp 35. The hose in turn extends along the discharge endportion of a connector 36 and is clamped thereto as by a hose clamp 34.The connector 36 in turn has fluid communication with a fitting 37leading from the back side of the suction box 15.

Referring now in particular to the quick detachable self-sealingconnection between the fitting 37 and the connector 36, the fitting 37is shown in FIGURE 4 as having a passageway 38 leading therealong andterminating into a rectangular outlet opening 39. The outlet opening 39opens through a widened plate portion 42 having a relatively widerectangular bearing surface or face 40 extending about the outlet 39 andprojecting above and to opposite sides of said outlet. The top of theplate portion 42 has a beveled surface 41 leading inwardly anddownwardly from the face 40 toward the body of the fitting and extendingfor the length of the face 40 at an acute angle with respect thereto.The face 40, with the beveled surface 41, forms in effect a tongue. Theface 40 terminates at its lower opposite end portions on opposite sidesof the outlet 39 into beveled surfaces 43, 43 extending parallel to thebeveled surface 41 and engaged by clamping members 44 hooking along theback of the plate portion, as will hereinafter more clearly appear asthis specification proceeds.

The connector 36 has an inlet opening 45, generally rectangular in formof the same size and conforming to the form of the outlet opening 39leading from the fitting 37. The inlet opening 45 opens through a plateportion 48 and is surrounded by a flat outer vertical bearing surface orface 46 extending about and upwardly of the inlet opening 45. A flange46a extends along the top of the plate portion 48 perpendicular to theflat face 46 and outwardly of said flat face and has a downwardlyopening groove 47 formed therein. One of the faces of said groove iscoextensive with said flat vertical face 46. Another face 48a of saidgroove extends at an acute angle with respect to said vertical faceparallel to the angle of the beveled surface 41 when the faces 40 and 46are in engagement with each other. The downwardly opening groove 47 ofthe connector 36 may thus be hooked over the beveled surface 41 of thefitting 37 and the overhanging weight of the fitting 37 will maintainthe faces 49 and 46 in engagement with each other when con necting theconnector 36 to the fitting 37. The faces 40 and 46 may 'be finished bymachining and grinding to provide an accurate abutting joint betweensaid faces and to thereby prevent the leakage of air at the joint.between the fitting 37 and the connector 36, when the faces 40 and 46are clamped together.

Beveled surfaces 49 parallel to the beveled surface 48 extend angularlyinwardly from the lower marginal portions of the face 46 at oppositesides of the passageway to provide clearance for the clamping members4-4.

The connector 36 has inclined bosses spaced from the plate portion 48and projecting from opposite sides thereof at the upper end portionthereof and drilled at the angle of the faces 41 and 43 to slidablyreceive the clamping members 44.

The clamping members 44 are mounted in associate-d bosses 50 to extendat the angle of the faces 43. Each clamping member 43 has a hook-likelower end portion 51 having a generally V-shaped notch 52 extendingtherealong, the faces of which conform to the back of the plate portions42 and the beveled face 43. The clamping members 44 are translationallymoved along the bosses 50 as by nuts 55 threaded on the outer endportions thereof and abutting washer 56 having abutting engagement withthe outer end portions of the bosses 50.

In assembling the connector 36 to the fitting 37, assuming the clampingmembers are loosely carried in the bosses 49, the connector 36 is firstsuspended on the tongue formed by the beveled surface 41 and front face40 by engagement of the grooved portion of said connector with saidbeveled surface or tongue. The overhanging weight of the connector 36will then bring the faces 40 and 45 into abutting engagement with eachother. The clamping members 44 may then be hooked onto the oppositelower end portions of the plate portion 42 to extend parallel to thefaces 43. The nuts 55 may then be turned along the threaded portions ofthe clamping members 44, to bring the tongue at the apex between thefaces 40 and 41 into tight engagement with the groove 47 and to pivotthe connector 36 about the apex and bring the faces 40 annd 41 intotight engagement with each other to form a positive leakproof connectionbetween the fitting 37 and connector 36.

When it is desired to remove the connector 36 from the fitting 37, it ismerely necessary to loosen the nuts 55 from the clamping members 44 andrelease the notches 52 from the apex between the lower end portions ofthe faces 42 and then lift the connector 36 from the fitting 37.

It may be seen from the foregoing that a simple quick detachableconnection has been provided between the fitting 37 and the connector 36connecting the suction box 15 to a source of vacuum and accommodatingready removal of the connector for cleaning of the suction box orreworking of the cover thereof.

It may further be seen that in addition to its simplicity, the jointbetween the abutting surfaces of the connector 36 and fitting 37 is airtight and is maintained air-tight by a few turns of the nuts 55,retaining the connector in assembled relation with respect to thefitting and increasing the tightness of the joint between the faces 40and 46 as said nuts are turned in a tightening direction.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which the inventionmay be embodied, it may readily be understood that various variationsand modifications in the invention may be attained without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a paper machine including a suction box having a perforate coveralong which the Fourdrinier wire travels,

means connecting said suction box with a source of vacuum to effect thedrawing of water from a web on said wire, comprising a fitting memberleading from said suction box having a passageway extending therealongand opening to the outer end thereof, said fitting member having a plateportion through which said passageway leads and having a flat verticalbearing face extending about and above said passageway, a beveledsurface leading inwardly and downwardly of said flat bearing face at anacute angle with respect thereto,

a connector having a passageway leading therealong opening to oppositeends thereof and registrable with said passageway leading along saidfitting member,

said connector having a flat bearing face extending about the inlet endof said passageway and adapted to engage said flat bearing face of saidfitting member,

a flange extending perpendicular of said flat hearing face of saidconnector along the upper end of said flat bearing face and outwardlytherefrom,

a downwardly opening groove formed in said flange having one facecoextensive with said flat bearing face and a second face inclinedoutwardly with respect to said flat bearing face at an acute angle withrespect thereto and engageable with the beveled surface of said fittingmember and supporting said connector on said fitting member,

and clamping members connected between the lower end portion of saidfitting member and the upper end portion of said connector and extendingat the angle of said beveled surface of said fitting member and saidinclined face of said groove and clamping said flat bearing faces inengagement with each other and exerting pressure on said fitting memberand connector to force said groove into tight engagement with saidinclined beveled surface of said fitting and maintain said flat bearingfaces in leakproof engagement with each other.

2. In a paper machine including a suction box having a perforate coveralong which the Fourdrinier wire travels,

means connecting said suction box with a source of vacuum to effect thedrawing of water from the web on said wire through said perforate cover,comprising a fitting member leading from said suction box and having apassageway extending therealong and an opening to the outer end thereof,

said fitting member having an outer plate portion through which saidpassageway opens,

said outer plate portion having a plane outer vertical face extendingabout said passageway and projecting upwardly of said passageway andhaving a beveled surface inclined downwardly and inwardly from the upperend thereof and with said flat face forming a tongue extending acrosssaid passageway,

a connector having a passageway extending therealong and opening toopposite ends thereof and having a fiat bearing face extending aboutsaid passageway for engagement with said flat bearing face of saidfitting member,

said flat bearing face terminating at its upper end in a flangeextending therealong perpendicular thereto and outwardly of said flatbearing face of said connector,

said flange having a downwardly opening groove formed therein, one faceof which i coextensive with said fiat bearing face and the other ofwhich is inclined outwardly with respect to said fiat bearing face at anacute angle,

said downwardly opening groove being adapted to hook onto said tongue,and the overhanging weight of said connector bringing said flat faces ofsaid fitting and said connector into engagement with each other,

said plate portion of said fitting member having an inclined lower endportion parallel to the upper beveled surface of said plate portion,

and clamping members engaging said inclined face of said fitting memberand hooking onto sa d fitting member at the lower rear end portions ofsaid beveled faces and extending parallel to said beveled faces andhaving takeup connection with said connector. 3. A paper machine inaccordance with claim 2 wherein lugs spaced along said connector fromthe flat bearing face thereof extend laterally from opposide sidesthereof and having apertured portions extending at the angle of saidinclined face of said groove and parallel thereto, wherein clampingmembers slidably extend through the apertured portions of said lugs andhave upwardly opening hook-like lower end portions extending along andhooked to the beveled faces at the lower end of said plate portion, andwherein nuts threaded on said clamping members and engaging said lugsbring said fiat faces of said fitting member and said connector intocompressive engagement with each other.

References Cited by the Examiner 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,790,852 2/31Berry 162366 2,796,810 6/57 Muller 162-363 15 DONALL H. SYLVESTER,Primary Examiner.

1. IN A PAPER MACHINE INCLUDING A SUCTION BOX HAVING A PERFORATE COVERALONG WHICH THE FOURDRINIER WIRE TRAVELS, MEANS CONNECTING SAID SUCTIONBOX WITH A SOURCE OF VACUUM TO EFFECT THE DRAWING OF WATER FROM A WEB ONSAID WIRE, COMPRISING A FITTING MEMBER LEADING FROM SAID SUCTION BOXHAVING A PASSAGEWAY EXTENDING THEREALONG AND OPENING TO THE OUTER ENDTHEREOF, SAID FITTING MEMBER HAVING A PLATE PORTION THROUGH WHICH SAIDPASSAGEWAY LEADS AND HAVING A FLAT VERTICAL BEARING FACE EXTENDING ABOUTAND ABOVE SAID PASSAGEWAY, A BEVELED SURFACE LEADING INWARDLY ANDDOWNWARDLY OF SAID FALT BEARING FACE AT AN ACUTE ANGLE WITH RESPECTTHERETO, A CONNECTOR HAVING A PASSAGEWAY LEADING THEREALONG OPENING TOOPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF AND REGISTRABLE WITH SAID PASSAGEWAY LEADING ALONGSAID FITTING MEMBER, SAID CONNECTOR HAVING A FLAT BEARING FACE EXTENDINGABOUT THE INLET END OF SAID PASSAGEWAY AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID FLATBEARING FACE OF SAID FITTING MEMBER, A FLANGE EXTENDING PERPENDICULAR OFSAID FLAT BEARING FACE OF SAID CONNECTOR ALONG THE UPPER END OF SAIDFLAT BEARING FACE AND OUTWARDLY THEREFROM, A DOWNWARDLY OPENING GROOVEFORMED IN SAID FLANGE HAVING ONE FACE COEXTENSIVE WITH SAID FLAT BEARINGFACE AND A SECOND FACE INCLINED OUTWARDLY WITH RESPECT TO SAID FLATBEARING FACE AT AN ACUTE ANGLE WITH RESPECT THERETO AND ENGAGEABLE WITHTHE BEVELED SURFACE OF SAID FITTING MEMBER AND SUPPORTING SAID CONNECTORON SAID FITTING MEMBER, AND CLAMPING MEMBERS CONNECTED BETWEEN THE LOWEREND PORTION OF SAID FITTING MEMBER AND THE UPPER END PORTION OF SAIDCONNECTOR AND EXTENDING AT THE ANGLE OF SAID BEVELED SURFACE OF SAIDFITTING MEMBER AND SAID INCLINED FACE OF SAID GROOVE AND CLAMPING SAIDFLAT BEARING FACES IN ENGAGEMENT WITH EACH OTHER AND EXERTING PRESSUREON SAID FITTING MEMBER AND CONNECTOR TO FORCE SAID GROOVE INTO TIGHTENGAGEMENT WITH SAID INCLINED BEVELED SURFACE OF SAID FITTING ANDMAINTAIN SAID FLAT BEARING FACES IN LEAKPROOF ENGAGEMENT WITH EACHOTHER.